Framing Agency Predicts Design Self-Efficacy and Engineering Identity, Contributing to Persistence Intentions

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Abstract

With perennial interest in broadening participation in engineering, much focus has been given to predicting persistence, often associated with identity and self-efficacy. Building on research that offers insight into the kinds of experiences that might develop identity and self-efficacy in engineering, the current study uses regression modeling of survey responses to investigate the relationships between students’ perceptions of their agency, identity, self-efficacy, and persistence (N = 991). Several framing agency subconstructs explained variance in engineering identity and engineering design self-efficacy, which in turn predicted persistence intentions to degree and beyond. Our results underscore the importance of design education experiences that provide students opportunities to direct problem framing.

Authors

• Madalyn Wilson-Fetrow, University of New Mexico

• Vanessa Svihla, University of New Mexico

• Yu-Yu Hsiao, University of New Mexico

• Ruben Lopez-Parra, Purdue University